World Athletics president Sebastian Coe announced on Thursday that transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in female track and field events, regardless of their testosterone levels. The decision, which takes effect on March 31, applies to any transgender athlete who has undergone male puberty and will bar them from female world‑ranking competitions. Coe made the statement after a meeting of the federation’s decision‑making body, noting that the organization had consulted with 40 national federations, the International Olympic Committee and transgender groups. “The majority of those consulted stated that transgender athletes should not be competing in the female category,” he said. “Many believe there is insufficient evidence that trans women do not retain an advantage over biological women and want more evidence that any physical advantages have been ameliorated before they are willing to consider an option for inclusion into the female category.”
Coe emphasized that the ruling was made in “the best interests of our sport,” but clarified that it is not a permanent ban. A working group headed by a transgender person will be created to monitor scientific developments. “We’re not saying ‘no’ forever,” Coe added. “Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations.” He said future policies will be guided by emerging science on physical performance and male advantage, and that the position will be reviewed as more evidence becomes available. The integrity of the female category, he stressed, remains paramount.
In a separate statement, World Athletics explained that the proposal requiring transgender athletes to keep testosterone below 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months failed to gain sufficient support within the sport. Because no transgender athletes are currently competing internationally in athletics, there is no sport‑specific evidence on how they might affect the fairness of female competition. Consequently, the Council decided to prioritize fairness and the integrity of female competition over inclusion.
The ruling follows similar moves by other governing bodies. FINA, swimming’s world federation, has barred transgender swimmers who have undergone male puberty from elite women’s races. In 2020, World Rugby became the first international federation to prohibit transgender female athletes from competing at the elite and international level in women’s rugby.
World Athletics also tightened its regulations for athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD). Under the new rules, DSD athletes must reduce their blood testosterone to below 2.5 nmol/L—down from the current threshold of 5 nmol/L—and maintain that level for two years, rather than one. The average testosterone range for women is 0.5 to 2.4 nmol/L. Additionally, the organization removed the previous restriction that applied only to events from 400 m to one mile, extending the regulations to all events. The most high‑profile DSD athlete affected is South Africa’s double Olympic 800 m champion Caster Semenya.
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